A Little Bit Late
by Miss-Robin
Summary: He started to have dreams about the other again, just like when they were boys back in Hogwarts. Only now he wasn't a boy, he was a man with a life full of regrets. They finally meet again. DM/HP Adult SLASH.
1. Ch1 I Wake Up Exhausted

1 .A Little Bit Late.

A/N: Okay, I know I really have no business starting another fict with the five million I have in progress, but I couldn't help it! Don't blame me, blame my old fan fiction journal for suddenly resurfacing, holding the first few lines of this chapter! On another note, what's up with Tom Felty's real girlfriend playing his future wife in DH part two. Jeez, not only does she get the real Felton, but my darling Draco too? Lucky girl...

OH! A/N Part Two: (If DH can do it, I can too, lol!) Chapter titles are from songs. This one is from a Tegan & Sara song.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I do not own his world or anyone in it. Not even Draco Malfoy. Yeah, I know, I cry a little every time I have to admit that.

.Chapter One: I Wake Up Exhausted .

Harry awoke from another dream of pale skin and blonde hair with a sigh. He rolled over on his side to try and avoid the annoying rays of sunlight that had begun to creep through his window, and into his bedroom. He turned to find a pair of amber eyes staring at him from a freckled face. Ginny smiled at him lazily before stretching her long arms and crawling out of bed. He couldn't help but grumble in annoyance when she announced the time.

"Harry, you really should get up soon, your due at the ministry in about an hour..." she reminded in a calm but firm tone. Harry, in response, groaned loudly and buried his face in comfortable goose feather pillow. His wife giggled, before picking up her wand from the night stand and proceeding to poke him with it until he finally raised his arms in surrender, slowly crawling off the bed.

"The guest of honor cannot be late!" she smiled, pushing him towards the bathroom. He nodded in response and watched as she turned on the shower, set out a gryffindor crimson towel for him, then went back into the bedroom to lay out his clothes. When the redhead finished she gave him quick kiss on the cheek before making her way down the hall to wake the younger Potters.

Harry stared blankly at the spot where she had just been, still half asleep, and slowly began to remove his pale blue pajamas (they started their life red, a Christmas gift from his young wife, but Harry was quickly growing tired of that ever-present color). He walked into the steamy shower, hanging his head and just enjoying the feel of the warm water on his skin. His mind began to slowly wander back to the subject of his dream, until his wife's voice brought him back to reality.

"Kids! Get ready! Remember, today is the ceremony!"

He sighed, pushing the unwanted thoughts from his head, feeling slightly guilty. He grabbed his apricot scented shampoo and started to work the orange liquid into his thick black hair- taking this moment alone to reflect on the years since Voldemort's destruction.

Ever since that fateful night everything had been just a blur of ceremonies, interviews and speeches. Harry was so sick of it. He enjoyed the positive attention at first, just glad he was famous for being a hero instead of a "liar", but now all he really wanted was for it all to just go away. He was so tired. If it wasn't for his three children, he would have left Wizarding London for good.

'_...and Ginny.' _He reminded himself. He had to stay for his wife, too.

He just wished he could leave the house without being recognized on the streets, to be able to take his children out for sweets without being swarmed by people who wanted to thank him, or ask questions, or take his bloody picture.

Recently, his only solstice has been his ever more frequent trips to muggle pubs, to just have a pint and blend in with the crowd. However, wizards had started popping up in his favorite spots, just to catch a glimpse of THE Harry Potter. Even in his own home he could find no sanctuary.

During the months when their children were away at Hogwarts, Ginny had nothing to focus her attentions on but him. She was a wonderful wife, really, always so adoring. But recently, Harry could help but feel suffocated, like she was just another fan he couldn't escape. He hated feeling that way about the mother of his own children, the thought filled him with shame, but was always there, lingering in the dark corners of his mind.

Sometimes he couldn't help but wonder if it was him she agreed to marry, or just the idea of him. Who wouldn't want to be married to the most famous wizard since Albus Dumbledore?

Harry sighed, and stepped out of the shower, grabbing the garishly colored towel and drying himself off. He caught sight of himself in the large full length mirror and gave it one of his seemingly endless fake smiles.

"That will do..." he murmured, before wandering into the bedroom and dressing himself in his pre-determined, and thankfully gray, dress robes. It was going to be a long day.

oOoOoOoOo

The sound of an unfamiliar owl's talons lightly scratching at his window pulled Draco, reluctantly, from his sleep. He scowled, turning his slender body away from the offending sound, wanting nothing more than to return to that dream of bright emerald eyes and messy black hair- instead finding something rather irritating on the other end of his king sized bed.

"What are you still doing here?" he glared at the other male's still sleeping form with unbridled annoyance. He stands then, forcing himself out of the comfort of his smooth, silver satin sheets and reaches for his wand- wanting nothing more than to mutter a good hex at this most intrusive guest.

As if the darker man somehow psychically knew what was about to become of him, he finally wakes, turning to see a very irate looking Malfoy pointing his wand at him.

"Woah, put that thing away, mate! What a way to greet a fellow first thing in the morning..."

The blonde simply shakes his head in annoyance, then sighs, and proceeds to gather the other man's garments, which are then thrown onto the bed.

"Get out, Blaise. You know my rules. I don't do sleep overs..." he growls, before donning his favorite black and silver house robe, while calling a house elf to fetch his slippers. The dark skinned boy just smirks, still laying on the bed. He rolls his eyes at the dramatic blonde.

"Draco, it's been two years. I thought maybe things had changed..."

Draco simply shoots him a glare as he finally opens his window, allowing the small gray owl to flutter in, dropping an envelope into his expectant hands.

"I thought we could grab a cup of coffee or something... catch up a bit. Hey, hows the kid?"

At this, Draco finally turns to face his once fellow Slytherin, his lips just itching to curse the other man, instead he just walks to end of the master bedroom, opening the heavy door.

"If you'd like a cup of coffee, see yourself to the kitchen and ask a house elf to serve you one. As far as catching up, I don't have the time. I'm picking up Scorpius in an hour from his mother's. Maybe some other time."

Blaise was no idiot, 'maybe sometime' really meant never. The handsome pureblood wasn't too disappointed, his charms never seemed to effect the blonde like they did the rest of the wizarding population.

With those final words, Draco turned to make his way toward the master bathroom, stopping only to ask House Elf Number Two to make his guest a cup of coffee then show him out. Making sure to lock the door behind him, Draco now takes his time to read the unusual unmarked letter in private, surprised to find an invitation inside, printed on fine eggshell white paper.

His pale blue eyes quickly glance over the words "Guest of Honor: Harry James Potter' before he tosses it into the open wastebasket. It had been years since he'd seen the boy- no, man, with the exception of newspaper photographs and brief glances at platform 9 3/4. Most recently, he had bought young Scorpius a chocolate frog, only to find Potter's smiling and waving at him from the bottom of the box.

Draco was almost certain that was the explanation for the previous night's dream- which also involved chocolate and a certain Wizarding Celebrity. He sighed loudly, making his way to the shower, the scalding water soothing him till he looked down and noticed, with some irritation, that a certain part of his body was now standing at attention.

"Damn that Potter..." he growled, trying to ignore it by focusing on lathering his hair, the scent of cucumber and melon filling the air.

"It's been years since, gah! What the hell's wrong with me?"

He finishes he shower, managing to avoid the full jerk-off session that would have ensued had he not been in a hurry, and wraps his still thin pale body in a soft seafoam green towel. He looks down, noticing the invitation still lying face up in the rubbish bin, Harry's name written across it in the brightest of reds. He scowls, reaching in and retrieving it- bringing it with him into his bedroom to change.

"Zabini, please." He rubs at his temples when he notices the handsome dark man still sitting on his bed, being begged to leave by three flustered looking young house elves. The man gives him another one of those smiles that would have melted a lesser wizard where his stood, which Draco replies to by pointing to the door, making a mental note never to allow this nuisance into his home again.

"Alright, alright Draco. I'm going, I'm going.." he stands, starting for the door, before he turns with a suddenly michevious smile playing on his lips.

"Still into Potter, eh?" He eyes the envelope as the Malfoy instinctively tightens his grip on it, scowl deepening.

"I've got to admit though, he did get hot. He's no Zabini or anything but I might even show up to celebrate that piece of ass..." He continued, winking at the suddenly more irate blonde.

Draco gives him one more icey glare, wondering just where the hell his once cold "friend" had picked up such a mouth, before slamming the door in his lovely face.

"Bye Draco!" he heard the other call as he turned to face the bed, which was now neatly made, his casual black robes lain out before him.

"Fetch me some dress robes to bring with me." he ordered one of the elves, before putting on his usual attire, stuffing the invitation into his back pocket.

"Just in case..." he added with a wicked smirk.


	2. Ch2: Steadier Footing

1A/N: Okay, well some of the characters might seem a bit ooc, mostly Draco and Blaise, but keep in mind that about twenty years have passed and they've matured. Draco is older now, and has learned from his horrible ordeal with the Dark Lord, and that probably changed his values a bit. I'm not saying he's going to be jumping through daisy fields while holding hands with Ron and (ugh) Hermione or anything but he's less of a prat now.

Oh, the songs by Deathcab For Cutie. The last part of the song reminds me of this chappy.

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters, don't own their world. Hell, I don't even own this computer I'm writing it on. I'm just a broke ass muggle playing with these sexy wizards :D

.Chapter 2: Steadier Footing.

Harry regretted a lot of things. He regretted never really getting to be young, and never having a life of his own. He regretted marrying Ginny so soon, before he really knew her, or even really knew himself. The only thing that made the entire ordeal worth it was his children.

"James, Albus, Lilly!" Ginny called their children over, while Harry grabbed a handful of floo powder. He waited for her to stop fussing with the collar on their young Ravenclaw's shirt, while his older Gryffindor brother teased him from behind his mother's back. Harry gave the boy a stern look that somehow ended up melting into a smile. His smile grew even wider as Lilly wrapped her smaller around his, inching closer to his side. When they were finally all ready he chucked the magic powder into the fire place, his voice and Ginny's melding into one as they both announced "Ministry of Magic!"

"Harry, there you are! I was beginning to think you wouldn't make it!" Percy Weasly is suddenly grasping his had, as if he had appirated suddenly just before him. Harry gives the minister's number one gopher a forced smile, withdrawing his hand a little two quickly. As much as he tried to, since they were techniqly family now, he could never grow to truly like the older man.

"Ginny, children..." He finally turns to his younger sister, who flashes him a forced smile as well, probablly from being addressed second, and more formally, by her own brother.

"Hey Percy, sorry we're late..." she murmurs as she tries to smooth down James' unruly hair.

"Quite all right. Now Harry, we have to get you ready, so if you'll come with me..."

"See you all in a bit..." Harry smiles at his family, his heart melting as their daughter looks up at him with the sweetest pair of doe eyes. He grins at her before turning at following the older Weasly deeper into the Ministry of Magic.

oOoOoOo

His palms begin to sweat as he stands on stage, trying his best to get through his sad excuse of a speech without sounding like a complete moron. He sees Ginny and the kids looking up at him from the front row, along with Ron, Hermione, and flashes a quick smile in their direction.

His green eyes continue to survey the crowd when suddenly his eyes catch sight of pale blonde hair, blue eyes and a perfect sneering face. As their eyes lock, Harry's speech falters, and for a few seconds he just stairs dumbly at the blonde. He's changed a lot since school, but that's to be expected since it's been about, what- over twenty years? He's still slim and pale but his nearly white hair looks a bit thinner and when Harry squints his eyes he can see the beginnings of frown lines on the side's of his mouth. The years have treated Draco Malfoy well.

Someone coughs behind him, and he turns his head to see Percy behind the curtain, giving him a panicked look.

'Oh, that's right... wasn't I in the middle of a speech...'

"... and so, in conclusion, the war was..." He rambles on, compleatly botching the ending, but not really caring. He finishes and the auditorium breaks into applause and camera flashes, and the Minister come out from behind the curtain to shake his hand and say a few words.

As soon as Harry reaches the backstage Ginny's suddenly there, asking questions, being a good concerned wife.

"Harry, what happened up there? You look like you'd seen a ghost..." She raised her boney hand to his forehead, and he shook her off, suddenly aggravated.

"Ginny, I'm fine. I just need to use the loo.." He marches off before she can stop him. She mutter's something about going back to the front with Ron and the kids. He doesn't stop to respond.

Thankfully, the restroom is surprisingly empty, and Harry litterly runs into the nearest stall, sitting down on the closed toilet seat and resting his head in the palms of his hands.

Harry can't help the building unhappiness and frustration he feels for his wife, for almost everyone, really. Seeing Malfoy, for some reason, made it increase tenfold. He didn't feel anything like the 'hero' he was supposed be, he felt like the pathetic shell of a man wallowing in his self-pity and regret.

Seeing the blonde made his think about his youth, about how it would have been if he had made friends with Malfoy when he offered instead of Ron and Hermione. What would have happened if he had allowed the sorting hat to put his in Slytherin instead of begging for Gryffindor? What if the snarky Death Eater's son had become his best friend instead of Ron? Or what if, instead of ending up with the youngest Weasly it had been...?

Harry shook his head violently, trying to clear such wrong thoughts from his mind. Ginny had given him three wonderful children, something he could never have had with the other wizard. Besides, its not like anything would have ever happened between them. Harry felt sickened by his thoughts about the other man who, last he heard, was married and had a child of his own.

The creeking of the bathroom door opening pulled Harry out of his unpleasant thoughts. He heard a pair of footsteps, and from under the stall he could see the expensive pair of dress shoes they belonged to.

'Oh great, probablly some prat reporter or pompous rich wizard who will go nuts if he sees me... better to wait in here...'

The door opened again and another pair of dress shoes, these a little overly elaborate, made their way towards the first pair.

"Wow, did you catch Potter's choke act. Correct me if I'm wrong but it looked like he was staring in our general direction..."

Harry froze. He knew that voice. He couldn't place it, but it gave him a sour feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"I thought I asked you to watch Scorpius?" the other replied sharply as warning bells went off in his head. This voice was even more familiar, and the name also rang a bell.

"Quit whining. I left the kid with Pansy, who was practically drooling over getting to watch the mini- you."

Harry was no Ravenclaw, but even a Hufflepuff could have put two and two together on this one. His heart began pounding, and he could feel the blood rushing through his veins, making him suddenly dizzy as he realized he was stuck in the bathroom with none other than Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini.

"Well, I see no reason that you needed to follow me into the bathroom, or to this event for that matter. What in Merlin's name are you and Pansy even doing here?"

"Well, she's here because I told her you're here, obviously. And I'm here because you owe me lunch, or at least a bathroom quickie, for throwing me out so rudely this morning... and after that wild night we had together..." The darker man's voice dropped to a barley audible seductive whisper.

Harry listened, in horror, silently praying that this was some sort of running joke between the two Slytherins. There was no way in hell Zabini and Malfoy were shacking up together. One, because Malfoy couldn't be gay, and two, even if he was, there's no way he would be gay with Zabini. The idea of the blonde with that prat made Harry want to loose his breakfast.

His eyes widened as he heard the sounds of rustling fabric, and had to restrain him self from leaping out of the stall and rushing to his childhood enemy's aid.

"Cut it out, Zabini. I don't have time for this." Draco's voice held a dangerous growl to it, much to Harry's pleasure.

"Fine, fine, I was only teasing, Draco. I'll take a raincheck on that quicky..." he heard Zabini chuckle to himself before leaving the bathroom.

Now it was only the two of them. All Harry had to do was to stay quiet while Malfoy finished up in there, and he would be out of this horribly awkward situation. He shifted his weight from his left leg to his right, to keep it from falling asleep, when suddenly he heard the sound of something dropping to the floor and was rolling below him. To his horror, he looked down to see his wand had rolled just outside his stall.

He watched in silent shock as a delicate pale hand reached down and picked up the wand.

"...Potter?"

oOoOoOoOo

Draco nearly jumped as he heard something fall onto the marble floor behind him, and he turned slowly, surprised to see a wand rolling towards him. He felt stupid for not realized there was another wizard in the room, probably taking a dump while listening to the scandalous things that idiot Blaise had been saying to him.

He walked towards it slowly, meaning to just pass it and leave the restroom when something about it made him stop. Draco somehow felt drawn to it, and before he knew it he was holding it in his pale hand.

It felt comfortable and familiar in a way that rivaled his current wand. With a start he realized it was his old wand, the one that had been taking from him back when the Dark Lord had resided in Malfoy Manor.

He knew who was in that stall.

"...Potter?"

There was no response. Suddenly growing annoyed, he began firmly rapping at the stall door.

"You'd think you would have bought your own wand, instead of mine all these years..." he commented, more to himself, than to the man hiding behind the wooden door.

"It just... fit." A deep, masculine voice answered, surprising Draco. He really had grown up.

A clicking sound echoed in the almost empty bathroom as the once Gryffindor golden boy slowly opened the door, looking down at the blonde.

'Woah. He's gotten taller...' Draco gulped, suddenly feeling a wave of heat creeping up his neck. He was an adult, and a Malfoy no less, he would not blush for this man.

"Its been a while, Potter..." he said a little two quickly, his eyes locking on the green ones, like they had earlier, and the dark haired man met his gaze. It took the other a few seconds too many to register the comment and respond.

"It has... Malfoy..." Draco almost shivered at the sound of the man addressing him, even by his last name, after so many years. He forced himself to remain composed, schooling his features into an almost bored expression.

When he spoke again he was finally his usual cool self.

"How have you been? I heard you and the Weasly girl have three children now. One of them a Ravenclaw?"

Much to Draco's satisfaction, he was obviously in control of the situation. Harry gulped audibly before replying.

"O-oh yeah, we've been good. We have two son's and one daughter. Albus is the one in Ravenclaw, howdya know?"

The blonde gave the flustered brunette his most attractive smirk, finally on top of his game.

"My son Scorpius was, interestingly enough, also sorted into Ravenclaw the same year. First Malfoy to be in that house..." He stated, sounding pleased which surprised Harry, who gave the other wizard a questioning look.

Before Draco could give any sort of reply the door burst open, revealing Scorpius, and surprisingly a young Potter boy trailing behind him whom he assumed was Albus. The two men did a double take, the boys looked so similar to their fathers that it was almost like seeing a picture of the two of them together when they were younger. If only such pictures existed.

"Father I-" Scorpius began before he was interrupted by the mini-Harry Potter.

"Daaad, you were taking so long so mum sent me to get you." The boy looked back and forth between the two men before smiling suddenly.

"I thought you and Scorpius' dad didn't get along because of what Uncle Ron said. I didn't know you guys were friends."

"Er... yeah. I suppose you could say we're friends." Potter smiled awkwardly at the boys before looking back up at Draco, who simply raised an eyebrow in return.

"It's a good thing your friends..." continued Albus, who suddenly began nudging the shorter blonde boy. "'cause Scorpius and I were wondering if maybe we could hang out sometime this week. We haven't seen each other since school let out..."

Draco couldn't help but notice the adorable puppy eyes that the small green eyed boy shot his father, who was obviously very weak against them, but seemed at a loss as to how to answer such a request.

The blonde smirked at the other man, deciding he could benefit from this, and turned towards two Ravenclaw boys.

"Well, I think that sounds like a great idea."

It took nearly all of his control not to burst out laughing at Potter's hilariously baffled face. This was going to be fun.


	3. Ch 3: Devil In The Details

1Author's note: I finally updated something! Yahoo! Yes, it's a very short chapter, but it's twelve pm and I'm BARELY falling asleep. Thanks for nothing, diazepam! You used to help me fall asleep! Ugh, ohwell. Bright Eyes song lyrics cause, welll, that's what I'm listening to and it's working for me.

.Devil In The Details.

"Wharryoo min yer gointa 'alfoys?" Ron choked out, pieces of roast beef sandwich falling out of his gaping mouth and onto the table. His bushy haired wife shot him a distasteful look as the children began to giggle at the baffled Weasly, before turning her attention back on Harry.

"It's just what it sounds like. Albus and little Scorpious are both in the same house, and apparently are good friends, so we arranged them a play day. That'sall."

Harry's brow furrowed in annoyance as he watched his best mate's face go through an array of emotions as he finished swallowing his food. Finally, when able to speak, he began to protest loudly.

"Why do you want to hang around with that git, anyways? Is that the kind of influence you want on your boy?"

"What kind of influence on our son...?" Ginny conveniently arrived back at their table, having gone to the loo with little Lily.

"He want's Albus to be hanging around with the Malfoys!" Ron waved his sandwich wildly in Harry's direction, as Hermione began to elbow him, muttering something about manners.

Harry shot a look in his young son's direction, glad that he was busy playing with 'Uncle' Teddy, as were the other kids, instead of listening to the adult's spat over his choice of friends.

"Like I was telling these two..." he sighed, a bit irritated that he was having to repeat himself, "he and Malfoy's kid are in the same house and grade, it's only natural they became mates. They wanted to spend a bit of time together since they're on break. I don't see the problem."

"Are you sure that Malfoy kid..." Ginny began, her expression tight-lipped and obviously not happy.

"Ginny, he's just a kid! If he was acting anything like his dad was back in the day, there is no way they'd be such good mates. Besides, it's been years now, give Malfoy a break! I'll be there to supervise as well!"

"Give Malfoy a break? Never thought I'd hear you say that!" Ron grumbled, taking another aggressive bite out of his sandwich.

"Oh please, guys! What's the big deal? Let the kids have their fun..." Hermione rolled her eyes as she began collecting the empty plates from the table. Ginny stood to help her, navigating through the herd of children to make her way towards the kitchen.

"Well, if you think it's a good idea, Harry..."

That was all Harry needed. He gave her a chaste peck on the cheek and went into the den to check on the kids.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

_How does Friday at around noon sound? Where do you want to meet? _

_Albus is very excited to be able to see his friend._

_- H. Potter_

Draco couldn't help but smirk widely to himself as he read the very brief letter that Potter had sent to him. He turned his attention then to the owl, who was a lovely dark creature, with white mask-like markings on it's face, very different than the one Potter had owned when he had attended school. He threw the bird a treat while he rummaged through his antique Oakwood desk for parchment and a quill.

He scrawled a quick message, taking note of how his fine penmanship made Potter's letter look like chicken-scratch. He tied it quickly to the owl's thin leg with a silver ribbon, then sent it off to return to his owner.

"Father...?"

The blond man turned to smile down at his son, who was already dressed for bed in his Slytherin-green pajamas that were adorned with tiny silver stars.

"Yes, Scorpious?"

"Was that owl from Mr. Potter?"

The older Malfoy's smile grew wider. No wonder that boy was in Ravenclaw. He was all smarts and intuition.

"Yes, actually, it was. He said Albus could come play on Friday, after I pick you up from your mum's."

The young blond boy grinned excitedly, then rushed to give his father a hug goodnight.

"Thanks, father! I cannot wait!" Draco returned the hug just as enthusiastically before sending the boy off to bed. As he laid down, now alone on the large bed, he finally had time to reflect on the day, and on what was to come.

The Slytherin side of his mind, ever present, began calculating a devious plan that involved one Harry James Potter.


End file.
